It is 1942, and civilization as the world knows it teeters on its edge. Nazi Germany stands at the height of its power. Anton Rider is now a desert commando engaged in obliterating Nazi air bases and petrol dumps. His old friend, Ernst von Decken, a German soldier of fortune, has become the enemy. Meanwhile, in North Africa, the brilliant General Rommel’s panzers threaten the Suez Canal, the oil fields to the Middle East, and the trade route to Asia.

Alliances shift, loyalties deceive, espionage thrives, and danger lies as much in the dark corners of Cairo as it does in the desert night. And at a barge on the Nile, at the Cataract Café, under the watchful eye of Olivio Alaved, its proprietor, Egypt frames its destiny.

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Quotes & Awards

“Nonstop action, eroticism, and intrigue…take place in the terrain of swashbuckling authenticity. Romantic and eventful…A satisfying dose of wartime action, private revenge, and seething passion.”

New York Times

“A World War II page-turner that’s part Masterpiece Theater, part Raiders of the Lost Ark, part Casablanca.”

Washington Post

“Exotic adventure fiction doesn’t come much better.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Bull is a master storyteller, interweaving authentically detailed military history with a continually evolving human drama.”

Booklist

Listener Opinions

by DaveB | 8/7/2012

" Not even a cameo by a famous desert geomorphologist could save this all-too predictable story. All the ingredients but the recipe just falls flat "

by Diane | 11/21/2011

" He tries too hard to be a British soldier-of-fortune telling a hard-boiled story. The place and time period are well researched, but Bartle Bull writes as his name implys... overdone. Couldn't finish it. "

by Tommy | 3/1/2011

" Just not up to the same standards as the first two in this trilogy. "

by Diane | 10/10/2010

" He tries too hard to be a British soldier-of-fortune telling a hard-boiled story. The place and time period are well researched, but Bartle Bull writes as his name implys... overdone. Couldn't finish it.
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Other Titles by Bartle Bull:

About the Author

Bartle Bull is the author of the widely praised African novels The White Rhino Hotel, A Café on the Nile, and The Devil’s Oasis. He is a member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club and was the publisher of the Village Voice.

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